Total Newbie Help

Hi everyone! I'm new here and I can't figure out what I've done wrong with PSE 10. I hope some one will be kind enough and patient enough to help.I am not new to digital scrapbooking but I am new to PSE. I have used Microsoft Home Publishing, Microsoft Picture-It Platinum, (Oh how I miss that program!) Picture it Platinum did everything I wanted but will not work on Windows 7 and besides, now my disc is broken. (I have bought replacements from Ebay twice) Most recently I have used Scrapbook Max, Craft Artist and Serif Pageplus. I have found all of these to be very limited. So after rummaging around on the Scrapgirls website and reading the 15 Secrets ebook I decided it was time to try PSE 10.

So I downloaded it this morning and I am completely lost! I thought with my experience with publishing programs I would be able to pick up the basics fairly quickly. HA!I can't even seem to work on one picture. I have tried the tutorials both here and at Adobe but I keep running in to a specific problem, I can't find the crop tool!

Actually I can find it but it's greyed out on the drop down menu and the tool box doesn't even have it in it. The spot where it is in the tutorial is occupied by the recompose tool and there doesn't seem to be one any anywhere else. Is this because this is the trial version?I couldn't find anywhere where it said that the trial was not a full version. I am extremely frustrated! Anybody have any suggestions?

Any item on the tool box that has a little grey arrow beside it, has multiple options. In addition to the above, the marquee tool has rectangular and elliptical options, for example.

Valerie is correct - Adobe lumps together multiple tools under the same icon to save space on the sidebar. Any icon that has a little arrow (mine look like black triangles) in the bottom right corner means there are alternate options. Either right click on the icon, or press and hold with the left click button.

First there is no arrow on the recompose tool. second when I right click on it it used to ask me if I wanted to recompose the picture now it doesn't now it brings up a recompose tutorial when I right click.
Wait!! Wait!!
Now I found the crop tool it showed up when I double clicked on the photo and the whole workspace changed. I gues the crop is only available in edit not create.

Thank you all so much for your help I guess I still need alittle more.

Now I have the card template with an empty frame on the front and a picture that I have cropped in the project bin. the empty frame on the card in the workspace (in Create) says "click here to add photo or drag photo here" when I add a photo from my files it adds it big and I can't work on it in edit mode, it doesn't switch. When I drag the cropped picture from the bin it doesn't go, I mean I can drag it but it doesn't show up in the frame, like I've done nothing

In Create mode, I'm guessing you are using one of the preset card templates? When you drag your photo onto the spot you want, you should see a dotted line around the photo. The dotted line will have little boxes at the corners and sides. You click and drag these boxes to resize your photo. Alternatively, a little slider bar should appear above your photo, and you can drag that slider to adjust the size of your photo to make it fit the frame.

Thank you all so much for your help I guess I still need alittle more.

Now I have the card template with an empty frame on the front and a picture that I have cropped in the project bin. the empty frame on the card in the workspace (in Create) says "click here to add photo or drag photo here" when I add a photo from my files it adds it big and I can't work on it in edit mode, it doesn't switch. When I drag the cropped picture from the bin it doesn't go, I mean I can drag it but it doesn't show up in the frame, like I've done nothing

Welcome! I typed out a long reply, lost my connection and the reply, so I'll try again. LOL.

I've used most of the other programs you have used and am still learning on PSE. I had 6, then 9, and now 10. Maybe some of what I say will make sense.

1. Buy Ro's Secrets if you can. It is step by step for several layouts. Also tutorials, although I often need more detailed information.2. I only use Edit for now, and use PLACE (in the file menu) to place all of my supplies and photos onto my background. Place will place a copy of the item, and if it a template, if you hold down the Shift key as you place it, the item will go where it is supposed to.3. You will have to resize your photos with the arrows at the corners of your photo, and some supply items may need resizing, too.4.There are several ways to do things in PSE, this is just what I do.5. Use your Layer Panel to the right to move things up and down so you can see them on your page. For instance usually your photo should be over your template so you can clip it (ControlG) to the template.6. Save often, in case your program or pc shuts down.The free booklets on Scrapgirls are good and will help you. I see you have already gotten the 15 things booklet.

You will like this once you can move around, then you can explore other areas in PSE.

By the way, I have found the card template the hardest to use (for me). Try making a 4x6 or 6x4 recipe card from scratch to try out to learn on. Make a NEW background 6x4, then name it and save it. Add a paper, then type something on it, or add some supplies to it, using PLACE. See if any of it works for you.

Personal Statement:The older I get, the more I know that life isn't about pursuing, but absorbing. :)

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Location:The Carolinas, USA

Posted 05 August 2012 - 07:32 PM

The one thing I think I am going to have to get used to in PSE 10 is the Create/ Edit. In 6, you could do many things that now you have to switch back and forth. The regular brush is not in both, for example. But I am getting the hang of it and it will become natural. I mostly use Paint.net to scrap, ArtRage Studio Pro to design and PSE for special effects and QC. Hang in there- keep at it and you will be flying..!

Thank you all so much for your help! This has been very frustrating for me! I have gotten to the point where I can do most things now (I think) and all of your comments have been very helpful. Thank you again I probably would have just thrown in the towel without you all.

I'm still not sure that PSE is for me but I will continue to work with it through out the trial month and see what I think at the end.
I am very surprised at the limited number of types of paper (specifically cards) that are available to work with. On Serif PagePlus there are 14 different sizes of folded card templates you can use. So far I have only found 4 in PSE and I can't seem to really work with those yet. Still fiddling with the program.

I guess time will tell.

I am so glad I found this site and you people, you've been so helpful. And I can't wait till I have some money to spend on some of these supplies!

Hi there! I'm just getting into the conversation here, but I wanted to check and see if you knew that you could get the Narrative Collection free from the SG Boutique. It will give you a bunch of fun stuff to work with in PSE. Here's the link to the Freebies in the Boutique!

I use PSE 8 - and I came from a Microsoft background (Publisher mostly) - so it took some getting-used-to to make the switch to PSE. But it really is wonderful now. I know that I don't do probably HALF of what it capable on this software, but I am very happy with the half I can do! I have gotten into it for a couple of years now (and I do not scrap a whole lot, so don't think I'm just investing hours and hours every day) and it DEFINITELY gets easier with time.

I also encourage you to look back at our Newsletter tutorials. Those articles are fabulous for walking you through different things to try. Usually a tutorial writer will give instructions for how to do something in PSE or in PS, so you should get a work-around no matter what program the writer was using when she created the tutorial.

I'd go for trying some that look fairly easy... and work your way up from there. Here's a link to the Scrap Girls University...

I came from Picture It (actually, whatever it was called in it's advanced versions) and I know exactly how you feel. It was so difficult to make the transition from Picture It and Nova's software to PSE, but with the help of some wonderful on-line folks who patiently guided me to the point I'm at today - I consider myself a PSE success story.

I changed to PSE because of the restrictions built in to Picture It and the Nova software - and because of PSE, I now have the freedom to more greatly control what I wish to do.

Hang it there. Yes, the learning curve is great because PSE is not intuitive like the "easy" software, but it's so very worth the trouble to learn.

Don't forget, you can create a document in any size you want for your cards - you don't just have to use templates. As long as the document you create is 300 pixels per inch, and RGB color, you can use all Scrap Girls products on it. HTHs